Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-03-05

worthy work as the founding of another uni
versity:
| Headquarters DIVISION OF PACIFIC, :
Preside OF SAN Francisco. (
| Joaquin Miller Esq:
DEAR SIR-Your letter of Aug 10 is received
1 very gladly say yes to your proposition TO plant
| some forest trees on Goat island, and designate
| Maj. George H. Weeks, quartermaster. U S. A.
I as the officer who will indicate the location
with the understanding that it is impossible fo,
me to give any right or title for the ground or i'm
4 provements. Your kindness, and that of your
| associates, in thus simply giving beauty to the
public domain, is appreciated. have been desir
| Gus myself to ornament Goat island with trees
| and shall recommend appropriations for this Dur.
! pose. Very truly yours, o. O. HOWARD
| Major General, U. s. A.
The press of California, on the appearance
of this last epistle left Yuba Bill and his
| stages and his dams to that retirement to
| which his long service might seem to entitle
| him, and came bodily forward to help on
| the movement. Meetings were held; enthu-
| siasm was abundant; eloquence was generous
| as rain, but money was scarce.
The noble enterprise began to languish, and
| then the winter rains put out the fires in the
mountains and the fire in the public heart
together My work took me to Washington,
and to all appearance the glorious plan for
planting the continent in trees by beginning
at the very doors of the Golden Gate had
passed from the eager and enthusiastic minds
of all Californians.
49,
Suddenly in the heart of this apathy ap-
peared call for a meeting of the leading
citizens of California at the Palace hotel
Behind this call for a meeting, which was a
triumph from first to last. was one certain
man, John Vance Cheney, the poet Behind
I r'"". John Ve""e Cheney, was a wc,' ~.
la, wife. And it Is to be admitted, too, that
back there in the shadow, behind the scenes
as it were, alongside of this brave
and spirited woman, stood Gen. How
ard and Adolph Sutro, of Sutro Tun-
mel fame, with all his millions at
his back But write it down in black and
white that neither Gen. Howard with his
army nor Adolph Sutro with his millions
could have moved things forward with such
force and precision as did this quiet and
cultivated lady and gentleman, who had but
little to say and whose hands were hardly
visible at all. Yet they were the heart of it;
the hearts blood of the whole great work, /
think.
I returned from the eastern states in time
>
noblest and most impressive that the west
has ever seen. Nearly 10000 little hearts
leaped with joy as the great gun doomed out
the birth of the California Arbor day, for
they were all to take part in the work.
Adolph Sutro, the greatest tree planter the
world ever heard Of, had presented Il, 900
school children each with tree to be planted
on that day. And the most of them had ar
,.ono.d Eo r1ant thair tIoac olOuo with fhoir
teachers and parents, out on the sea banks Of
the Golden Gate. A few thousand, how
ever, of the older growth could be taken in
ships to the island which Mrs Cheney had
first designated as the place where we should
begin to plant trees in the face of all the pass
ing vessels as an example to the world
The enterprising and enthusiastic young
ex governor of California, George c. Perkins,
had placed ship at our disposal; and finally,
Senator Stanford, catching something of the
enthusiasm under all his heaps of work, found
time to write and ask us to call on HIM for
funds; and so the whole affair was settled on
a solid basis. ***
1t was glorious day! The gray and golden
mist hung warm and comforting about the
banners and the ships. From the lofty emf
nence Of the island, where are planted 10000
trees in the form of cross, we could see only
the masts, the streaming banners, the far off
and castle like housetops of San Francisco.
Adolph Sutro planted the first tree on this
proud occasion, and said: an 100 years from
to-day the people who will then inhabit this
fair western land will assemble on this island
and celebrate the centennial Of the Inaugural
ton of Arbor day in California. None of the |
bright faces see about me will then be here. |
Your grandchildren and great grandchildren |
will do the honors of the day, and now let me |
intrust the first tree to the care of mother |
earth"
Mrs. Ramirez, a Spanish lady and daughter |
Of the first proprietor of the island, thereupon
planted second tree, saying: Il plant this |
little tree in memory of my father May no |
other banner ever float above this island than |
that which have learned TO love-the glori- |
Gus stars and strsYA."
0en. Vallejo, who had been in command OF |
the islnss fifty three years before, was too old |
to walk k& was Sought to the spot ON |
horseback; vAere, aser a most touching |
speech in Spanish, he planted the third tree. |
Ex-Governor Perkins being called for, ex-
cused himself and called instead upon Maj. |
Gen. o. o. Howard, whom, in few elo-
1uent words, he introduced as the man
whose name adorns the brightest page OF
American history. and whose kindness had
made the celebration of the present occasion
possible.
Gen Howard, who was greeted with three
,heers, stated that it seemed to be his fate to
be substitute, though during the war he
hoped he had not been such. He rejoiced in
he present occasion, a catholic occasion,
where all, without distinction of race or
creed, could join in planting the cross, and
planting it in living green.
Then read the following lines:
Sweet Paradise was sown with trees,
Thy very name, lorn Nazareth,
Means woods means sense of birds and bees,
And song of leaves with lsping breath.
God gave us mother earth, full blest
With robes of green in healthful fold; =
We tore the green robes from her breast!
We sold our mothers robes for gold! -
We sold her garments fair, and she
Lies shamed and naked at our feet!
In pentence we plant a tree;
We plant the cross and count II meet